Reinforced safety glass and method of manufacture

ABSTRACT

A reinforced safety glass and its manufacturing procedure are presented. The invention uses a vehicle&#39;s original glass, which is generally tempered, eliminating need for a new specific glass. The invention utilizes films of diverse reinforcing materials to increase the final resistance of the product and therefore reinforcing the original glass. During its manufacturing process, an autoclave is used for applying pressure and temperature to bond the reinforcing films to the original glass and between each other. The invention comprises the original glass to which at least one PU film and one C-PET film are orderly applied, ate least to the interior face of the glass.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention refers to a reinforced safety glass and its manufacturingprocedure. Although it may have diverse applications, its purpose arisesfrom the need for safety glasses of high resistance in order to increasethe safety of vehicles' occupants.

Description of the Related Art

The current status of the art involves diverse combinations of materialsand procedures to obtain armored glasses. Common materials used are:

a) Polyvinyl butyral films (herein after referred to as “PVB”). Example:PVB films manufactured by Kuraray Arg.

b) PolyEthylene Terephthalate films (hereinafter referred to as “PET”),generally Crystallizable PolyEthylene Terephthalate because of its hightransparency (hereinafter referred to as “C-PET”). Example: PET filmsmanufactured by Kuraray Arg.

c) PolyUrethane films (hereinafter referred to as “PU”). Example: PUfilms manufactured by Dayplas S.A.

d) Safety films with adhesive, such as those manufactured by Llumar, 3M,Madico, Johnson & Johnson, Sunguard, etc.

e) Safety films without adhesive, such as those also manufactured byLlumar, 3M, Sunguard, etc. or safety films with adhesive from which theadhesive is eliminated.

f) Obviously, special glasses or original glasses used for thisapplication.

Each of these materials have diverse densities and one or more layersmay be used. The goal to obtain successful and pragmatic results foreach need is based on the combination of films and especially on theprocedure by which these films are combined with glasses. This is wherethis invention stands out and where the pillars which provide the basisfor this patent application lie.

Furthermore, there are operating aspects such as a higher economy andflexibility of procedures, together with the impact of such procedureson the environment, which could not be solved to date.

In accordance with what has been analyzed above, here follow someantecedents for information purposes:

a) European Patent No. EP1322467B1 “INTRUSION RESISTANT GLASS LAMINATE”granted on Nov. 28, 2007. It consists of a laminated glass composed of:a first PBV film+a first PET film+a second PET film+a second PBV film,all of these inserted between two glasses. These films are placedbetween two glasses as usual.

Aside from the details of the procedure, in this case two PET films areplaced between PBV films, all of which is placed between two glasses,that is to say, two glasses are needed.

b) U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,537 “Laminated glass with polyurethane resinlayer and silane coupling agent layer” granted on Oct. 29, 1996. Thispatent protects laminated glass with polyurethane films which requiresan adhesive agent. It is based on the chemical aspects of the silaneagent.

c) U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,890 “Bullet resistant glass/glass, glass/plastic,and plastic/plastic laminate composites” granted on Aug. 29, 1995. Thispatent protects a composite of laminated glass which comprises at least2 glasses bonded by a layer of adhesive polyester. It may or may notinclude a “plastic” film between the two glasses, bonded by adhesivepolyester.

d) U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,140 “Laminated safety glass with polyurethanefilm”, granted on Dec. 23, 1980. It specifically protects polyurethanefilm used for safety glasses.

e) U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,386 “Security film for shatterproofing windows”granted on Feb. 21, 1978. This patent refers to a method of applyingfilms with adhesive and watery detergent. It comprises the basic conceptof safety films.

f) PCT Patent Application WO2003006240 A1 “Compositor interlayer forlaminated glass” published on Jan. 23, 2013. This application claims thejoint use of PU and PVB without considering a key aspect of theprocedure modified by this application.

i) U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,290 “Impact resistant laminate” granted on Jun.10, 1986. It refers to a laminate with high ballistic resistance. Ituses glass, PU, PMMA and PC.

Although we have seen great progress in safety glasses in the lastdecades, a correct combination of films without adhesive which onlyrequires a single glass, offering exceptional characteristics regardingresistance to impact, high transparency and low impact on theenvironment, could not be achieved yet. These are the key aspects ofthis invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One of the purposes of this invention is to manufacture a reinforcedsafety glass which offers high resistance to impacts using a singleglass.

Another purpose of this invention is to manufacture a safety glassreinforced on its interior as well as its exterior faces.

Another purpose of this invention is to create an innovative procedurefor the manufacturing of a reinforced safety glass which reducessubstantially the impact on the environment.

Another purpose of this invention is to manufacture a reinforced safetyglass which, once broken, avoids the risk of cuts, lacerations orinjuries of any kind.

Additionally, another purpose of this invention is the manufacturing ofa reinforced safety glass which offers a higher sound isolation insidevehicles.

Finally, another purpose of this invention is to manufacture areinforced safety glass which decreases the passage of UV rays to theinside of vehicles, decreasing, as a result, the temperature insidethem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the inventionwill be more apparent from the following more particular descriptionthereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the components of a first exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, a reinforced safety glass.

FIG. 2 shows a cut of the components of the first exemplary embodimentof this present invention, a reinforced safety glass, including a filmof polycarbonate used as a bonding agent during the manufacturingprocess. Specifically, during the prelaminating process.

FIG. 3 shows a cut outline of the components of a second exemplaryembodiment of this present invention, a reinforced safety glass,including two films of polycarbonate used during the manufacturingprocess. Specifically, during the prelaminating step.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention comprising reinforced safety glass and itsmanufacturing procedure will now be described. In the followingexemplary description numerous specific details are set forth in orderto provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of theinvention. It will be apparent, however, to an artisan of ordinary skillthat the present invention may be practiced without incorporating allaspects of the specific details described herein. Furthermore, althoughsteps or processes are set forth in an exemplary order to provide anunderstanding of one or more systems and methods, the exemplary order isnot meant to be limiting. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldrecognize that the steps or processes may be performed in a differentorder, and that one or more steps or processes may be performedsimultaneously or in multiple process flows without departing from thespirit or the scope of the invention. In other instances, specificfeatures, quantities, or measurements well known to those of ordinaryskill in the art have not been described in detail so as not to obscurethe invention. It should be noted that although examples of theinvention are set forth herein, the claims, and the full scope of anyequivalents, are what define the metes and bounds of the invention.

For a better understanding of the disclosed embodiment, its operatingadvantages, and the specified object attained by its uses, referenceshould be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter inwhich there are illustrated exemplary disclosed embodiments. Thedisclosed embodiments are not intended to be limited to the specificforms set forth herein. It is understood that various omissions andsubstitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances maysuggest or render expedient, but these are intended to cover theapplication or implementation.

The term “first”, “second” and the like, herein do not denote any order,quantity or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one elementfrom another, and the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote alimitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least oneof the referenced item.

FIGS. 1 to 3 will be used to describe the reinforced safety glass andits manufacturing procedure.

The reinforced safety glass of high resistance is used to provide highersafety to those protected by it. The glass may have diverse applicationssuch as glass openings for houses, surveillance booths in general,banks, etc. However, its main application is in vehicles of any kind,because it can use a vehicle's original glass, therefore eliminating theneed for a specific glass. This application stands out from othersolutions because it does not require a new glass. However, those ofskill in the arts would appreciate that it does no foreclose use of anew and/or specific type of glass.

In order to obtain the reinforced safety glass of this present inventionfilms of diverse reinforcing materials are used, whose special featuresincrease the final resistance of the invention, reinforcing the originalglass. During the manufacturing process, pressure and temperature areapplied using autoclave in order to bond the reinforcing films to theoriginal glass and between each other.

From the point of view of its construction, the safety glass is composedof an original glass to be reinforced, with at least one PU film and oneC-PET film bonded (in this same order) without adhesives to its interiorface.

An exemplary embodiment of this present invention, comprises at leastone PU film with a thickness of between 0.18 mm and 2 mm and a C-PETfilm with a thickness of between 0.18 mm and 2 mm.

Instead of PU and C-PET films, it is possible to apply a safety filmwithout adhesive on the exterior face of the original glass to bereinforced. Another alternative is to apply a safety film with adhesive,that is to say, a film which includes adhesive. The thickness of thesafety film, with or without adhesive, may vary between 40 μm and 400μm.

There may be another exemplary embodiment of this present invention, areinforced safety glass, where the exterior face of the glass isreinforced once the interior face is reinforced. In other words, atleast one PU film and one C-PET film, are applied, in order, to theexterior face of the glass, without adhesives.

Having finished the description of the construction of the exemplaryembodiments of this invention, the manufacturing steps of the reinforcedsafety glass are as follows:

Steps for the first exemplary embodiment:

a) thorough cleaning of the original glass;

b) ionize with ionizing gun at least one PU film;

c) insert at least one PU film on the interior face of the originalglass;

d) ionize with ionizing gun at least one C-PET film;

e) place at least one C-PET film over at least one PU film;

f) eliminate the excess of PU and C-PET films;

g) place a cover (or layer) of polycarbonate, generally with a thicknessof between 1.5 and 4 mm, over the last C-PET film;

h) place the product obtained from steps a) to g) inside a vacuum bag;

i) vacuum the obtained product;

j) introduce the vacuum bag inside an autoclave until it reaches apressure of between 2 and 4 bar and a temperature of between 75° C. and90° C.;

k) once it reaches the temperature and pressure values indicated in stepj) keep them constant for 40 minutes to 60 minutes;

l) activate the cooling system of the autoclave until it reaches 70° C.;

m) eliminate the air from the autoclave and open it;

n) take the obtained product inside the vacuum bag out of the autoclave;

o) remove the polycarbonate cover;

p) make sure there are no air bubbles between the films;

q) introduce the obtained product (without the polycarbonate cover andthe vacuum bag) inside the autoclave again;

r) activate the compressor and reach a pressure of between 1.5 and 3bar;

s) activate the autoclave until it reaches a temperature of between 120and 135° C. and a pressure of between 10 bar and 12 bar;

t) once it reaches the values indicated in step s) deactivate thecompressor and the autoclave until the temperature lowers below 120° C.;

u) activate the cooling system of the autoclave until it reaches 70° C.;

v) eliminate the air in the autoclave and open it;

w) take the obtained product (the safety glass) out of the autoclave;

x) let it reach room temperature; and

y) polish the excedents of the films.

A second exemplary realization, comprises the same steps as the exampleabove, with the addition of a step z). That is to say, the completeprocedure comprises the following steps:

a) thorough cleaning of the original glass;

b) ionize with ionizing gun at least one PU film;

c) insert at least one PU film on the interior face of the originalglass;

d) ionize with ionizing gun at least one C-PET film;

e) place at least one C-PET film over at least one PU film;

f) eliminate the excess of PU and C-PET films;

g) place a cover of polycarbonate, generally with a thickness of between1.5 and 4 mm, over the last C-PET film;

h) place the product obtained from steps a) to g) inside a vacuum bag;

i) vacuum the obtained product;

j) introduce the vacuum bag inside an autoclave until it reaches apressure of between 2 and 4 bar and a temperature of between 75° C. and90° C.;

k) once reaches the temperature and pressure values indicated in step j)keep them constant for 40 minutes to 60 minutes;

l) activate the cooling system of the autoclave until it reaches 70° C.;

m) eliminate the air from the autoclave and open it;

n) take the obtained product inside the vacuum bag out of the autoclave;

o) remove the polycarbonate cover;

p) make sure there are no air bubbles between the films;

q) introduce the obtained product (without the polycarbonate cover andthe vacuum bag) inside the autoclave again;

r) activate the compressor and reach a pressure of between 1.5 and 3bar;

s) activate the autoclave until it reaches a temperature of between 120and 135° C. and a pressure of between 10 bar and 12 bar;

t) once it reaches the values indicated in step s) deactivate thecompressor and the autoclave until the temperature lowers below 120° C.;

u) activate the cooling system of the autoclave until it reaches 70° C.;

v) eliminate the air in the autoclave and open it;

w) take the obtained product (the safety glass) out of the autoclave;

x) let it reach room temperature;

y) polish the excedents of the films; and

z) place a safety film over the exterior face of the original glass tobe reinforced.

Finally, a third procedure, which is used for an exemplary realizationwhich comprises the use of PU and C-PET films in both the exterior andinterior faces of the tempered glass, is as follows:

a) thorough cleaning of the original glass;

b) ionize with ionizing gun at least one PU film;

c) insert at least one PU film on the interior face of the originalglass;

d) ionize with ionizing gun at least one C-PET film;

e) place at least one C-PET film over at least one PU film;

f) repeat steps b) to e) applying these to PU and C-PET films in theexterior face of the glass to be reinforced;

g) eliminate the excedents of PU and C-PET films from the interior andexterior faces of the original glass;

h) place a polycarbonate cover (generally with a thickness of 1.5 to 4mm) over the last C-PET films (both in the exterior and the interiorfaces of the original glass);

i) place the obtained product formed in steps a) to h) inside a vacuumbag;

j) vacuum the obtained product;

k) introduce the vacuum bag inside an autoclave until it reaches apressure of between 2 bar and 4 bar and a temperature of between 75° C.and 90° C.;

l) once it has reached the temperature and pressure values indicated instep k) keep them constant for 40 minutes to 60 minutes;

m) activate the cooling system of the autoclave until it reaches 70° C.;

n) eliminate the air from the autoclave and open it;

o) take the obtained product inside the vacuum bag out of the autoclave;

p) remove the polycarbonate cover;

q) make sure there are no air bubbles between the films;

r) introduce the obtained product (without the polycarbonate cover andthe vacuum bag) inside the autoclave again;

s) activate the compressor and reach a pressure of between 1.5 and 3bar;

t) activate the autoclave until it reaches a temperature of between 120and 135° C. and a pressure of between 10 bar and 12 bar;

u) once it reaches the pressure and temperature values indicated insteps s) and t), deactivate the compressor and the autoclave until thetemperature lowers below 120° C.;

v) activate the cooling system of the autoclave until it reaches 70° C.;

w) eliminate the air in the autoclave and open it;

x) take the obtained product (the safety glass) out of the autoclave;

y) let it reach room temperature; and

z) polish the excedents of the films.

The revolutionary aspect of this third “sandwich-type” procedure, wherethe laminated glass is bonded to both polymer films, is that iteliminates the risk of cuts, lacerations, or injuries of any kind in theevent the tempered glass is damaged or broken. This is because allfragments of the laminated glass would stay adhered to either theinternal or external polymer layers, or both.

As those of skill in this field would understand, this aspect arisesfrom the procedure itself. The fact that the purpose of this descriptionis to enable an ordinary person to put the invention into practice,should not leave aside the broadness of this application. That is tosay, minor modifications, for instance in the number of films used(materials), their thickness, the temperatures and/or pressures of theautoclave during the diverse stages of the procedure to obtain thesafety glass, etc., are contemplated in the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A reinforced safety glass comprising: a temperedglass with an interior and exterior surface; a first layer of at leastone PolyUrethane (PU) film bonded to said interior surface; a firstlayer of at least one Crystallizable PolyEthylene Terephthalate(“C-PET”) film bonded to said first layer of PU film; a second layer ofat least one PU film bonded to said exterior surface; and a second layerof at least one C-PET film bonded to said second layer of PU film. 2.The reinforced safety glass of claim 1, wherein the at least one PU filmhas a thickness as between 0.18 mm and 2 mm.
 3. The reinforced safetyglass of claim 1, wherein the at least one C-PET film has a thickness ofbetween 0.18 mm and 2 mm.
 4. The reinforced safety glass of claim 1,wherein the PU film and C-PET film are applied without adhesives.
 5. Thereinforced safety glass of claim 1, further comprising a safety filmapplied on the exterior surface of the tempered glass.
 6. The reinforcedsafety glass of claim 5, wherein said safety film is applied withadhesive on the exterior surface of the tempered glass.
 7. Thereinforced safety glass of claim 5, wherein said safety film is appliedwithout adhesive on the exterior surface of the tempered glass.
 8. Thereinforced safety glass of claim 5, wherein said safety film has athickness of between 40 μm and 400 μm.
 9. The reinforced safety glass ofclaim 8, wherein the PU film and C-PET film are applied withoutadhesives.
 10. The reinforced safety glass of claim 1, wherein saidsafety glass is manufactured by a process comprising: a) thoroughlycleaning the tempered glass; b) ionize at least one PU film withionizing gun; c) place the at least one ionized PU film on the interiorsurface of the tempered glass; d) ionize at least one C-PET film withionizing gun; e) place the at least one ionized C-PET film over the atleast one ionized PU film; f) eliminate any excess PU and C-PET films;g) place a layer of polycarbonate over the last C-PET film, wherein thepolycarbonate has a thickness of between 1.5 and 4 mm; h) place theobtained product from steps a) to g) inside a vacuum bag; i) vacuum theobtained product; j) introduce the vacuum bag inside an autoclave untilthe autoclave reaches a pressure of between 2 and 4 bar and atemperature of between 75° C. and 90° C.; k) once autoclave reaches thetemperature and pressure values indicated in step j) keep the valuesconstant for 40 minutes to 60 minutes; l) activate the cooling system ofthe autoclave until it reaches 70° C.; m) eliminate cooling air from theautoclave and open it; n) remove the obtained product from inside thevacuum bag and the autoclave; o) remove the polycarbonate cover; p)place the obtained product inside the autoclave again; q) activate thecompressor and reach a pressure of between 1.5 and 3 bar; r) activatethe autoclave until it reaches a temperature of between 120 and 135° C.and a pressure of between 10 bar and 12 bar; s) once the autoclavereaches the values indicated in step r) deactivate the compressor andthe autoclave until the temperature reduces below 120° C.; t) activatethe cooling system of the autoclave until it reaches 70° C.; u)eliminate cooling air in the autoclave and open it; v) take the obtainedproduct out of the autoclave; w) let the obtained product reach roomtemperature; and x) polish any excedents of the films out of theobtained product, wherein the obtained product is the safety glass. 11.The reinforced safety glass of claim 10, further comprising: y) placinga safety film over the exterior surface of the safety glass.
 12. Aprocess of manufacturing a reinforced safety glass comprising: a)obtaining and thoroughly cleaning an original glass, wherein theoriginal glass comprises an interior surface and an exterior surface; b)ionize at least one PU film with ionizing gun; c) place the at least oneionized PU film on the interior surface of the original glass; d) ionizeat least one C-PET film with ionizing gun; e) place the at least oneionized C-PET film over the at least one ionized PU film; f) eliminateany excess PU and C-PET films; g) place a layer of polycarbonate overthe last C-PET film, wherein the polycarbonate has a thickness ofbetween 1.5 and 4 mm; h) place the obtained product from steps a) to g)inside a vacuum bag; i) vacuum the obtained product; j) introduce thevacuum bag inside an autoclave until the autoclave reaches a pressure ofbetween 2 and 4 bar and a temperature of between 75° C. and 90° C.; k)once autoclave reaches the temperature and pressure values indicated instep j) keep the values constant for 40 minutes to 60 minutes; l)activate the cooling system of the autoclave until it reaches 70° C.; m)eliminate cooling air from the autoclave and open it; n) remove theobtained product from inside the vacuum bag and the autoclave; o) removethe polycarbonate cover; p) place the obtained product inside theautoclave again; q) activate the compressor and reach a pressure ofbetween 1.5 and 3 bar; r) activate the autoclave until it reaches atemperature of between 120 and 135° C. and a pressure of between 10 barand 12 bar; s) once the autoclave reaches the values indicated in stepr) deactivate the compressor and the autoclave until the temperaturereduces below 120° C.; t) activate the cooling system of the autoclaveuntil it reaches 70° C.; u) eliminate cooling air in the autoclave andopen it; v) take the obtained product out of the autoclave; w) let theobtained product reach room temperature; and x) polish any excedents ofthe films out of the obtained product, wherein the obtained product isthe safety glass.
 13. The process of claim 12, wherein the originalglass is tempered.
 14. The process of claim 12, further comprising: y)placing a safety film over the exterior surface of the safety glass. 15.A process of manufacturing a reinforced safety glass comprising: a)obtaining and thoroughly cleaning an original glass, wherein theoriginal glass comprises an interior surface and an exterior surface; b)ionize at least one PU film with ionizing gun; c) place the at least oneionized PU film on the interior surface of the original glass; d) ionizeat least one C-PET film with ionizing gun; e) place the at least oneionized C-PET film over the at least one ionized PU film; f) repeatsteps b) to e) applying ionized PU and C-PET films to the exterior faceof the original glass; g) eliminate any excedents of PU and C-PET filmsfrom the interior and exterior surfaces of the original glass; h) placea polycarbonate cover over the last C-PET film on both the exterior andthe interior surfaces of the original glass; i) place the obtainedproduct formed in steps a) to h) inside a vacuum bag; j) vacuum theobtained product; k) introduce the vacuum bag inside an autoclave untilit reaches a pressure of between 2 bar and 4 bar and a temperature ofbetween 75° C. and 90° C.; l) once autoclave has reached the temperatureand pressure values indicated in step k) keep values constant for 40minutes to 60 minutes; m) activate the cooling system of the autoclaveuntil it reaches 70° C.; n) eliminate cooling air from the autoclave andopen it; o) remove the obtained product from inside the vacuum bag andthe autoclave; p) remove the polycarbonate covers; q) place the obtainedproduct inside the autoclave again; r) activate the compressor and reacha pressure of between 1.5 and 3 bar; s) activate the autoclave until itreaches a temperature of between 120 and 135° C. and a pressure ofbetween 10 bar and 12 bar; t) once the autoclave reaches the pressureand temperature values indicated in step s), deactivate the compressorand the autoclave until the temperature reduces below 120° C.; u)activate the cooling system of the autoclave until it reaches 70° C.; v)eliminate cooling air in the autoclave and open it; w) take the obtainedproduct out of the autoclave; x) let the obtained product cool down toroom temperature; and y) polish any excedents of the films of theobtained product, wherein the obtained product is the safety glass. 16.The process of claim 15, wherein the original glass is tempered.